Silver Leaf Rose - Hot Bike Magazine

14. Next, with the delicate touch of a surgeon, Mike lightly cut and peeled up pieces of the rose template so he could begin airbrushing the roses onto the silver leaf.
14. Next, with the delicate touch of a surgeon, Mike lightly cut and peeled up pieces of
15. As sections of the roses were peeled away, Mike used the airbrush to hit the edges with some black. This is how he created the shapes, contours, and shadows of the rose petals.
15. As sections of the roses were peeled away, Mike used the airbrush to hit the edges wi
16. It’s a slow process but you can see how the combination of the paint and negative space in the silver leaf help the roses start to take shape.
16. It’s a slow process but you can see how the combination of the paint and negative spa

17. Here’s a comparison between the finished roses on the left side and the template outline on the right.
17. Here’s a comparison between the finished roses on the left side and the template outl
18. To match up both tank halves, Mike traced the finished rose design onto some tracing paper, flipped it over, and using some carbon paper, traced it onto the left tank half. He then went through the same process to airbrush the roses onto the left tank.
18. To match up both tank halves, Mike traced the finished rose design onto some tracing
19. With the silver leaf and roses complete, Mike began working on the last few details: some freehand scrolls and pinstriping. He used chalk to sketch out some ideas.
19. With the silver leaf and roses complete, Mike began working on the last few details:

20. For the scrolls Mike used some light-blue outlined in black. Scrollwork and pinstriping take a lot of time, patience, and practice. You’ve got learn how to steady your hands and to create smooth, steady pulls of the brush to get nice flowing lines.
20. For the scrolls Mike used some light-blue outlined in black. Scrollwork and pinstripi
21. Mike also used some Bone White to create thinner lines to accent the blue. Mike says his technique is to use the brighter colors for thinner lines. He also says the thinness and thickness of the lines are important as you want them to flow organically with the rest of the paintjob.
21. Mike also used some Bone White to create thinner lines to accent the blue. Mike says
22. To tie in the side panels with the top of the tank, Mike used the Bone White to lay down a thin line between the black and the blue. This helps give the finished paintjob a more uniform look.
22. To tie in the side panels with the top of the tank, Mike used the Bone White to lay d

23. Last but not least, you gotta leave your mark. Satisfied with the project, Mike signed off on his work.
23. Last but not least, you gotta leave your mark. Satisfied with the project, Mike signe
24. After some final clearcoats and finish sanding, the sheetmetal was mounted onto the Springer. Sparkling in the sun, the miniflake gleams like a gem while the blues take on a nice light hue.
24. After some final clearcoats and finish sanding, the sheetmetal was mounted onto the S
25. From the tight lines, paneling, and fades…

26. …to the silver leaf, airbrush, scrolls, and pinstriping Mike created his version of an old-style ’60s/’70s lowrider paintjob. As we stated before, the key is to plan several steps ahead. To evenly distribute the various colors and techniques so they would all complement each other, Mike says he knew what his last step was going to be before he even started the first step.
26. …to the silver leaf, airbrush, scrolls, and pinstriping Mike created his version of a
27. The finished product is clean, classy, and gets attention—exactly what we wanted for this Springer project.
27. The finished product is clean, classy, and gets attention—exactly what we wanted for